Voting machine



Sept. 17, 1940. R, SHOUP 2,215,110

VOTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1939 mnlllllamua 1m INVENTOR i ly 7/ ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Application December 12, 1939, Serial No. 308,760

Claims.

This invention relates to voting machines.

In certain communities, the election law requires that in a referendum vote, the voter may be called upon to vote first whether or not he is in I favor of a certain proposal and secondly, if he is in favor of the proposal to vote for one of two subsidiary proposals. As a purely hypothetical case, the voter might be asked to vote in favor of or against the building of a new courthouse or other similar structure. If the voter is in favor of the building of a courthouse, then he might be called upon to register his preference as to the manner of financing the building of the courthouse, for example, either by a tax on realty or a sales tax. If he votes against the building of the new courthouse, he is not permitted to vote further.

An object of this invention is a voting mechanism, by means of which a voter may register an affirmative or negative vote with respect to a given proposition and if he registers an aflirmative vote, he may vote for one of two subsidiary proposals, but if he registers a negative vote with respect to the main proposal, he cannot vote further.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of voting mechanism embodying the invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are side elevations of Fig. 1 with the mechanism in successive stages of operation;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

While the mechanism herein disclosed is primarily intended for use in a voting machine of the general type covered by Shoup, et al. Patent No. 2,054,102, the invention nevertheless is applicable to other forms of voting machines. The mechanism herein disclosed is merely illustrative of the invention and is adapted for incorporation in one type of voting machine.

A row of spindles ID is supported in a frame I l and with each spindle is associated a counter l2, the interconnection between each spindle and its associated counter preferably being of the same general type as illustrated and described in said Shoup et al. patent. Afiixed to each spindle i0 is an actuating handle or key Illa and an arm l3 for engagement by a vertical bar I4 supported for movement toward and away from the row of spindles and effective in one position to lock the spindles in unvoted position and in another position to release said spindles for operation, the bar also serving to return the voted spindles to unvoted position, in accordance with the disclosure in said Shoup et al. patent. The spindles are rotatable clockwise from unvoted position to voted position and each spindle is provided with a lug I5, the arrangement of the two lugs on the upper two spindles being such that rotation of either spindle from unvoted to voted position brings the lug associated with it into the path of the remaining lug substantially perpendicular thereto to lock its spindle against clockwise rotation. The same relationship exists between the lugs IS on the two lower spindles. Thus, operation of either spindle of the upper pair of spindles or the lower pair of spindles, locks the remaining spindle of such pair against operation.

An arm I6 is carried by the top spindle l0 and by each of the lower two spindles 10. A link I! has an aperture at one end and a stud 18 passes through such aperture and is threaded into the arm 16, the stud having a snug fit in the aperture so that rotation of the top spindle l0 causes linear movement of the link 11. The link also is provided with a pair of elongated slots l9 through each of which extends a stud I8 threaded to the arm l6 of one of the lower two spindles. The arrangement of slots is such with the spindles in unvoted position that the studs I8 of the lower two spindles engage the bottoms of the slots l9, thereby preventing operation of either of the two lower spindles while the top spindle remains in unvoted position and permitting operation of the top spindle without effecting actuation of either of the lower two spindles. There is thus provided a lost-motion connection between the top spindle and each of the lower two spindles (Fig. 2).

The upper two spindles are allocated to the proposal to be voted upon. The top spindle is for operation to register an aflirmative vote and the second spindle is for operation to register a negative vote. Each of the two lower spindles is allocated to a subsidiary proposal and one spindle is operated by the voter to indicate his preference with respect to the two alternative subsidiary proposals.

After the mechanism above described has been conditioned for voting by movement of the bar M to its extreme left position (Fig. 5) the voter registers his vote with respect to the proposal by actuation of one of the upper two spindles, thereby bringing one lug into position to lock the other lug and its associated spindle against actuation. 55

If the voter actuates the second spindle, he thereby locks the lower two spindles as such spindles can be actuated only with concurrent downward movement of the link i? and such link is held against downward movement by reason of the fact that it is fixed to the arm N5 of the top spindle which is locked by engagement of the second spindle lug I5 with the first spindle lug l5 (Fig. 4). However, if the voter has actuated the top spindle it), such spindle while moving into voted position and while moving its lug l5 into locking relation to the second spindle lug l5, efiects downward movement of the link ll sufficient to free each of the lower two spindles, either of which may now be actuated, (Fig. 3). Actuation of either spindle brings its associated lug l5 into locking engagement with the lug associated with the remaining spindle as above described, thereby preventing operation of both the lower two spindles. The voted spindles are returned to unvoted position by movement or" the bar M to its extreme right position with concurrent operation of the counters to register the vote.

The construction and arrangement is such that it is impossible for a voter to actuate either of the third or fourth spindles without also operating the first spindle. This is evident from the fact that actuation of either the third or fourth spindle effects downward movement of the bar I? with consequent actuation of the top spindle. Therefore, it is impossible for the voter to vote on either of the two subsidiary proposals without also voting afiirmatively with respect to the proposal.

It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in the structure above described, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a voting machine, a first pair of spindles, a second pair of spindles, an arm carried by each spindle and movable upon actuation of said spindle from unvoted to voting position into the path of the arm of the remaining spindle of a pair to lock the latter in unvoted position, a crank arm carried by one only of the first pair of spindles and each of the second pair of spindles, a link connected to the crank arm of the spindle of the first pair for movement therewith, and a lost motion connection between said link and each of the crank arms of said second pair of spindles.

2. In a voting machine, a first pair of spindles, a second pair of spindles, an arm carried by each spindle and movable upon actuation of said spindle from unvoted to voting position in the path of the arm of the remaining spindle of a pair to lock the latter in unvoted position, a crank arm carried by one only of the first pair of spindles and each of the second pair of spindles, a pin carried by each of said arms, and a link having an aperture through which extends the pin of the crank arm of the spindle of the first pair and a pair of elongated slots through which extend the pins of the crank arms of the second pair of spindles.

3. In a voting machine, the structure according to claim 1 characterized by said four spindles being arranged in a single row.

4. In a voting machine, the structure according to claim 2 characterized by said four spindles being arranged in a single row.

5. In a voting machine, two pairs of spindles arranged in a single row, interlocking means individual to each pair of spindles, a crank arm carried by only one of the first pair of spindles and each of the second pair of spindles, a link connected to the crank arm of the spindle of the first pair for movement therewith, and a lost motion connection between said link and each crank arm of said second pair of spindles.

RANSOM F. SHOUP. 

